seats SAAB 9-3 2009 User Guide

30 SafetyChild top tether anchorages for
forward facing child seatsConvertible
Child restraints with a tether strap must be
attached according to Canadian and U.S.
safety standards.
If you have any questions regarding child
anchorages please contact your Saab
dealer.
The car is provided with two top tether
anchorages. Use the one that is right behind
the seating position in which the child
restraint is to be installed and attach the
restraint as follows:
1 Remove the head restraint on the seat-
ing position where the child restraint
shall be fitted.
2 Place the child restraint in the rear seat.3 Secure the lower part of the child
restraint by means of the lower anchor-
ages or the safety belts as described in
the child restraint installation instruction.
4 Attach the tether to the anchorage.
5 Tighten the tether so that the back of the
child restraint is pressed hard against
the backrest.
6 Pull the child restraint to make a second
check that the restraint is securely
attached at both the lower anchorages
bars on the safety belts and the top
tether strap.7 Put the head restraint back on and make
sure it is securely mounted. Adjust it in
its highest position.
WARNING
Child top tether anchorages are designed
to withstand only those loads imposed by
correctly fitted child restraints.
Under no circumstances are they to be
used for adult safety belts.
WARNING
If the size of the child restraint makes it
impossible to put the head restraint back
on, place it in the trunk.
How to take away the head restraint1 Raise the head restraint
2 Push the catch forward and pull the head
restraint straight upward
Top tether anchorages in the rear seat
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32 SafetyAirbag
Airbag system components Airbag in steering wheel
 Airbag in instrument panel in front of
passenger seat
 Side airbags in front seat backrests
Convertible: The side airbags help
protect the head also
 Inflatable curtains along length of headlin-
ing (from front to rear roof pillars)
(SportSedan and SportCombi only)
 Safety belt pretensioners for front seats
Convertible: and outer rear seats.
The airbag system supplements the protec-
tion provided by the safety belts to further
enhance the safety of occupants taller than
59 in. (150 cm).
When the system is activated at the moment
of impact, the airbag inflates and then
deflates through holes in the back. The
whole operation takes roughly 0.1 second,
quicker than the blink of an eye.
The steering wheel and passenger airbags
are so-called smart airbags. The driver and
passenger airbag system compensates for
safety belt usage and the force of the crash
at the moment of impact.There are two impact sensors on the front
bumper, under the lacquered shell. Very
soon after the moment of impact, these
register that the car is involved in a crash.
Using this information and data from the
central sensor in the control module, the
control module determines whether or not to
inflate the airbags. The control module also
controls whether other components of the
airbag system are to be deployed: safety
belt pretensioners, inflatable curtains
(SportSedan and SportCombi) and roll over
bars (Convertible).
Which airbag system components are
deployed depends on a number of factors,
such as the force of the crash and the angle
of impact.
If the airbag system registers forces equiv-
alent to a high-speed crash (airbags inflated
to Stage II), the inflatable curtains will also
be activated (SportSedan and SportCombi)
see page 42.
If a fault arises in the airbag system during
a journey, the airbag warning lamp on the
main instrument panel will come on and the
Saab Information Display (SID) will display:
WARNING
To reduce risk of death or serious injury:
Always wear your safety belt.
Always adjust your seat so that you
are as far back as possible but still
able to operate the pedals and reach
the steering wheel and controls com-
fortably.
 Passengers 12 and under or shorter
than 59 inches (150 cm) must always
travel in the rear seat as the car is fitted
with a passenger airbag.
Never fit a child seat in front of the pas-
senger airbag.
Airbag malfunction.
Contact service.
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41 Safety
The side-impact protection is only activated
on the side of impact, while the safety belt
pretensioners on both sides are deployed.
The front seats and outer rear seats have
safety belt pretensioners.
There are two sensors on each side of the
car, one at the rear of each door sill and one
in the lower part of each C-pillar.
Convertible: The Convertible has two side
impact protection sensors, one on each side
of the car. These are located at the rear of
the sills.
Inflated side airbag and inflatable curtain,
SportSedan and SportCombi
Inflated side airbag with head protection,
Convertible
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42 SafetyInflatable curtains, SportSedan
and SportCombi
The inflatable curtains, which protect the
head, are concealed along the lengths of
the headlining (all the way from front to rear
roof pillars).
The inflatable curtains inflate at the same
time as the side airbags in the front seats in
case of a side-on impact.
The inflatable curtains reduce the risk of
head injuries to the occupants of the car’s
outer seats. The inflatable curtains deploys
into the window area between the front and
rear roof pillars.
If the airbag system registers forces equiv-
alent to a high-speed frontal crash (Stage II
for the steering wheel and passenger
airbags), the inflatable curtains will also be
deployed.
WARNING
 Do not sit with your head resting
against the side window. The inflat-
able curtain is designed to inflate
between the window and the head.
Resting the head against the window
could prevent the inflatable curtain
from providing the intended pro-
tection.
 Hang only light clothes from the hooks
on the rear seat courtesy handles. The
items of clothing must not contain
heavy or sharp objects. Do not use
wire coat hangers.
 Do not position a sun visor or similar
item in the area that would be filled by
the inflatable curtain.
 To reduce the risk of head injuries in
the event of a crash, the roof pillars
and headlining incorporate cushioning
material. Do not attach anything to the
car’s headlining, roof pillars or side
panels as this could prevent the
side-impact protection from providing
the intended protection.
 Do not stack loads so high that they
could encumber the inflatable curtain
in the event of a crash.
Inflated inflatable curtain, SportSedan
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45 Safety
Frequently asked questions on
function of the airbagDo you still need to wear a safety belt if air-
bags are fitted?
Yes, always! The airbag system compo-
nents merely supplement the car’s normal
safety system. Moreover, the front airbags
will only be actuated in a moderate to severe
frontal, or near-frontal crash, which means,
of course, that they provide no protection in
minor frontal crashes, major rear- or side-
crashes or if the car rolls over.
The safety belts help to reduce the sideway
movement of the body in a crash.
But they also ensure that, if a crash occurs
in which the airbags are inflated, the airbag
will make the optimum contact with the
occupant, i.e. square on from the front. If the
occupant meets the airbag in an offset posi-
tion, the protection afforded will be reduced.
In addition, airbags provide no protection
against a secondary impact occurring in the
same incident. So there is no doubt about
the benefit of wearing safety belts at all
times.
Do not sit too close to the airbag: it needs
room to inflate.
The airbag inflates very quickly and power-
fully in order to protect an adult, before they
are thrown forward, in a serious frontal
crash.How do I position the seat to leave room for
the airbag to inflate?
Don’t have your seat too far forward.
Recline the seat back to increase the dis-
tance between you and the airbag. For short
drivers, special accessory pedal extensions
are available through your Saab dealer.
Airbags inflate extremely rapidly and with
great force – to be fast enough to protect an
adult in the seat.
When do the airbags in the steering wheel
and passenger side of the dash board
inflate?
The airbag will only be inflated under certain
predetermined conditions in a moderate to
severe frontal, or near-frontal crash,
depending on such factors as the force and
angle of the impact, the speed of the car on
impact, and the resistance to deformation of
the impacting object.
The airbag can only be activated once in the
same incident.
Do not attempt to drive the car after an
airbag has been inflated, even if it is possi-
ble.
What won’t trigger the airbag?
The airbag will not be activated in all frontal
crashes. For instance, if the car has hit
something relatively soft and yielding (e.g. a  The car's impact protection consists of
several different safety features
including the airbags, safety belts,
steering wheel, seats and dashboard.
These parts are co-ordinated with
each other to provide optimum protec-
tion in the event of a collision, so never
install an airbag from one car into
another.
There is no guarantee that it would
then work satisfactorily in the event of
a collision.
 All work involving the scrapping or
replacement of airbags or belt preten-
sioners must be carried out by autho-
rized personnel only.
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46 Safetysnow drift or a hedge) or a solid object at a
low impact speed, the airbag will not neces-
sarily be triggered.
How loud is the inflation?
The noise of the inflation is certainly loud,
but it is of an very short duration and will not
damage your hearing. For a short time after-
wards you could experience a buzzing
noise in your ears.
Most people who have experienced it
cannot remember the noise of the inflation
at all – all they remember is the noise of the
crash.
Can you still use a child seat in the front if a
passenger airbag is installed?
Definitely not!
Children 12 and under or shorter than
55 inches (140 cm) can be killed by the air-
bag.
The back seat is the safest place for chil-
dren.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in the
front.
Sit as far back as possible from the airbag.
Always use seat belts and child restraints.What should I do if the AIR-BAG warning
light comes on?
If the warning light is on, it means that a fault
has been detected in the system. The
airbag cannot be relied on to operate as
intended and it might even be activated
erroneously. You should therefore take the
car to a workshop. We recommend that you
contact a Saab dealer as soon as possible.
Are the dust and fumes given off when the
airbag operates at all harmful?
Most people who have remained in a car
with little or no ventilation for several min-
utes complained only of minor irritation of
the throat and eyes. Avoid as much as pos-
sible getting dust on your skin as there is a
risk of skin irritation.
If you suffer from asthma, the incident may
bring on an attack, in which case you should
follow the normal procedure advised by
your doctor. It is advisable to consult a
doctor afterwards.
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped VehicleIs there anything I might add to the front or
sides of the vehicle that could keep the air-
bags from working properly?
Yes. If you add things that change your vehi-
cle’s frame, bumper system, front end or
side sheet metal or height, they may keep
the airbag system from working properly.
Also, the airbag system may not work prop-
erly if you relocate any of the airbag sen-
sors. If you have any questions about this,
you should contact Saab Customer Assis-
tance before you modify your vehicle. The
phone numbers and addresses for Cus-
tomer Assistance can be found on page
280.
Because I have a disability, I have to get my
vehicle modified. How can I find out whether
this will affect my advanced airbag system?
Changing or moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module or the inside rearview
mirror can affect the operation of the
advanced airbag system. If you have ques-
tions, call Customer Assistance. The phone
numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance can be found on page 280.
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52 SecuritySwitches on front doorsThe central locking can also be operated
from inside the car using the button by each
front door handle.
Locking the car with the remote control ren-
ders these buttons inoperative.
SportSedan
If you are sitting in the car and pressing the
button on the driver’s door, the driver’s
door will unlock. Pressing the button a
second time will unlock the remaining
doors.
SportCombi
If you are sitting in the car and pressing the
button on the driver’s door, the driver’s
door will unlock. Pressing the button a
second time will unlock the remaining doors
and the tailgate.The button on the passenger door works in
the same way except that this first unlocks
the passenger door. During this operation
the rear doors remain locked.
If the car is left with one or more doors open,
the interior lighting will be switched off auto-
matically after 20 minutes. This is to prevent
the battery from running flat. Also, if the car
has electrically adjustable seats, these will
cease to operate.
Child safety locks
WARNING
If small children are carried in the rear
seat, the safety locks on the rear doors
should be activated to prevent uninten-
tional opening from the inside.
Central locking switch
Child safety locks
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70 9-3 Convertible8 Sit in one of the front seats and lock the
soft top to the windshield rail. Use the lug
wrench and the Allen key. Turn roughly
1/4 turn counterclockwise. Check that
the soft top is properly locked in place by
pressing up the front edge. The soft top
must not move upward.9 Lift up the rear window fully and hold it
there. Close the soft top cover. It is not
possible to lock the soft top cover after
manual raising.
10 Press down the rear edge of the soft top
as far as possible towards the soft top
cover.11 Now lock the rear window to the soft top
cover. Sit in the rear seat and insert the
tool (the same tool as used to lock the
soft top to the windshield rail) into the
hexagonal hole in the soft top mecha-
nism. Turn roughly 1/4 turn, counter-
clockwise on the right had side of the
soft top and clockwise on the left-hand
side. Look at the soft top cover when
locking the rear window. The rear
window must make a tight seal against
the soft top cover.
The soft top system must be checked and
rectified without delay. We recommend that
you contact a Saab dealer.
NOTICETo avoid damaging the paintwork on the
soft top cover and the trunk lid, take care
when closing the soft top cover.Closing the soft top cover
Rear window locked to soft top cover
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73 9-3 Convertible
"Easy entry"To facilitate getting in and out of the rear
seat, the front seats can be slid forward.
Manually adjusted passenger seats3
1 Raise the handle by the head restraint
on the seat.
2 Tip the backrest and slide the seat
forward.
Repositioning
1 Tip back the backrest.
2 Slide the seat back to the desired
position.
Make sure the backrest and seat are prop-
erly locked in position. Correct locking is
indicated by a clear clicking noise.Electrically adjustable front seats3
1 Raise the handle by the head restraint
on the seat.
2 Tip the backrest forward.
3 The seat now moves to its foremost
position.
Repositioning
1 Tip the backrest back to its normal
position.
2 Raise and hold the handle while the seat
is moved back. Release the handle
when the seat has been moved to the
WARNING
Always check that the backrest locks
properly when returned to normal
position.
 Check that the fore-and-aft position of
the seat is properly locked. The back-
rest and the entire belt-in seat must be
locked in position; otherwise the occu-
pant of the seat is at risk of injury
during braking or in the event of a
crash, especially if a rear-facing child
seat is fitted behind the backrest.
"Easy entry" function. Illustration shows an electrically adjustable seat3
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74 9-3 Convertible
required position. Correct locking is indi-
cated by a clear clicking noise.
Repositioning (seats without memory)
1 Tip the backrest back but not to its
normal position.
2 Raise and hold the handle until the seat
has returned to its previous position.
3 Release the handle and move the back-
rest to locked position. Correct locking is
indicated by a clear clicking noise.
Head restraintsThe front seats are equipped with Saab
Active Head Restraints (SAHRs). These are
designed to reduce the risk of neck injury if
the car is hit from behind.
The SAHR is a mechanical system, actu-
ated by body weight. The mechanism is built
into the top of the backrest, where it is con-
nected to the head restraint.
In the event of a rear-end crash, the body is
forced back against the backrest. This, in
turn, causes the mechanism to press the
head restraint forward and upward, thus lim-
iting the backward movement of the head.The front head restraints can be raised and
lowered to a number of positions, the rear
has two positions.
 Raising: grasp the head restraint on both
sides and pull it straight up.
 Lowering the front head restraints: press
in the left catch and press the head
restraint down.
WARNING
 Adjust the head restraint so that the
head is optimally supported and the
center of the head restraint is at ear
height, thus reducing the likelihood of
neck injury in a crash.
 Raise the head restraints in the seats
that are occupied.
Front head restraint
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